ARLINGTON — The third preseason game Saturday at Minnesota should give the Cowboys their best representation of what the team’s new defense will actually look like this year.

What’s certain is the Cowboys hope the defense looks nothing like it did over the first two preseason games.

The first-team defense struggled to grasp new coordinator Rob Ryan’s complex 3-4 system against Denver and San Diego. Saturday’s game is probably the final time the starters will play in the preseason — certainly at length — making this the Cowboys’ last chance to get it right before they open the regular season Sept. 11 at the New York Jets.

Continue to falter against the Vikings and the Cowboys will be left with little confidence that their defense is ready to go.

“There is a lot of work to be done,” linebacker Keith Brooking said. “You’re never there. We’re kind of just living in the moment right now.”

The Cowboys hired Ryan in mid-January, but he couldn’t install his defense until training camp practices started July 28 because of the lockout.

That’s left the Cowboys with very little time to learn Ryan’s scheme.

During the first week of training camp, linebacker Bradie James said he was lugging around three playbooks, and linebacker DeMarcus Ware said he felt overwhelmed.

Brooking, who has been in the league since 1998, said he’s never seen a defense like Ryan’s with all the personnel groups the Cowboys are implementing, often shifting players to different positions.

“I’ve probably learned more the past three weeks with Rob Ryan than I’ve learned in my 14-year career, as crazy as that sounds,” said Brooking, who hasn’t played in the preseason because of a hamstring injury. “He challenges you mentally.”

That’s been evident by the Cowboys’ lack of communication at times and confusion. In the preseason opener against Denver, the Cowboys had 13 players on the field at one time. Last week against San Diego, they were caught with 10 players on the field.

The first-team defense has started five series and surrendered 271 yards and 20 points. In 45 plays, the starters have only one sack and no forced turnovers. They have been handicapped somewhat with starting cornerbacks Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins out with injuries.

Ryan said after the loss to San Diego that he’s not in panic mode but is concerned with the lack of forced turnovers.

“That’s the thing we’re disappointed in. We practice hard on that, and we’re just not making plays,” Ryan said.

“I think it is us playing a little cautiously, and we have to get that out and put our guys in better situations to play more aggressively. We’re maybe trying to play a little too hard to be perfect.”

Last year under Wade Phillips, the Cowboys played five preseason games, and by this date, the defensive starters had played in eight series over three games. Despite playing eight more plays last season by this point, the defensive starters allowed 36 fewer yards and 13 fewer points. They also had three sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery.

That defense, of course, went on to allow the most points in franchise history.

Ryan said he thinks the first-team defense will play much better against Minnesota because this is the first preseason contest they’ve game-planned for, getting a look at the Vikings’ offense from a scout team.

Also, Ryan has reduced his defensive package to a select number of looks.

In the first two preseason games, the Cowboys implemented most of Ryan’s complex scheme and threw everything at the players at once.

The Cowboys hope clearer minds yield better results.

“When you put a whole system in, it’s more difficult,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “They understand the urgency of the situation. We’re a long way off in all areas, but I think we’ve made some progress, and hopefully, it will show up.”

Little D

Here is what the Cowboys’ first-team defense did in the first two preseason games this year:

Plays

Yds

Time

Pts

13

77

5:55

3

3

2

1:07

0

9

50

4:37

3

9

61

5:10

7

* 11

81

6:44

7

Total: 45

271

22:53

20

* Backups were inserted for final four plays of the drive

Looking back

Here is what the Cowboys’ first-team defense did in the first three preseason games last year:

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